[SOLVED] Cannot yum upgrade due to a python module

UK2 · #1 17th March 2012, 10:21 AM

Hello,

Code:

HP Mini 210
Fedora 16 3.2.9-1.fc16.x86_64

Not sure how this happened but I was in the process of upgrading using yum. When my computer crashed.

When I restarted I tried to do the yum upgrade again. However, I got this problem.

Code:

$ sudo yum upgrade -y

There was a problem importing one of the Python modules
required to run yum. The error leading to this problem was:

   /usr/lib64/libelf.so.1: file too short

Please install a package which provides this module, or
verify that the module is installed correctly.

It's possible that the above module doesn't match the
current version of Python, which is:
2.7.2 (default, Oct 27 2011, 01:40:22) 
[GCC 4.6.1 20111003 (Red Hat 4.6.1-10)]

However, as yum won't even start I can't do the following to install the package that has that library:

Code:

yum provides */libelf.so

Is there anything I can do?

Many thanks in advance,

***glennzo*** · #2 17th March 2012, 10:37 AM

[glenn@localhost ~>$ yum whatprovides */libelf.so
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, langpacks, local, presto, refresh-packagekit
Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
* fedora: mirrors.med.harvard.edu
* rpmfusion-free: mirror.liberty.edu
* rpmfusion-free-updates: mirror.liberty.edu
* rpmfusion-nonfree: mirror.liberty.edu
* rpmfusion-nonfree-updates: mirror.liberty.edu
* updates: mirrors.med.harvard.edu
_local/filelists_db | 902 kB 00:00 ...
adobe-linux-x86_64/filelists | 605 B 00:00
rpmfusion-free-updates/filelists_db | 156 kB 00:00
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates/filelists_db | 160 kB 00:00
updates/filelists_db | 8.6 MB 00:03
elfutils-libelf-devel-0.152-1.fc16.i686 : Development support for libelf
Repo : fedora
Matched from:
Filename : /usr/lib/libelf.so

elfutils-libelf-devel-0.152-1.fc16.x86_64 : Development support for libelf
Repo : fedora
Matched from:
Filename : /usr/lib64/libelf.so

elfutils-libelf-devel-0.153-1.fc16.i686 : Development support for libelf
Repo : updates
Matched from:
Filename : /usr/lib/libelf.so

elfutils-libelf-devel-0.153-1.fc16.x86_64 : Development support for libelf
Repo : updates
Matched from:
Filename : /usr/lib64/libelf.so

Maybe you could use rpm to reinstall the package? For example
rpm -Uvh http://linux.mirrors.es.net/fedora//...c16.x86_64.rpm

Just a thought. I'm not 100% sure that this would be the proper method for resolving your issue. Maybe someone else could confirm?

SteveGYBE · #3 17th March 2012, 10:57 AM

As the package will be in the RPM DB as already installed, you will need to use the "replacepkgs" option to replace the installed files with fresh copies from the RPM file

Code:

rpm -ivh --replacepkgs <URL to RPM file>

#4 17th March 2012, 10:59 AM

The devel wont fix it

Code:

# rpm -qf /usr/lib64/libelf.so.1
elfutils-libelf-0.153-1.fc16.x86_64

***glennzo*** · #5 17th March 2012, 11:40 AM

Maybe I erred.

[root@server ~>$ yum provides */libelf.so.1
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, local
Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
* fedora: mirror.seas.harvard.edu
* rpmfusion-free: mirror.liberty.edu
* rpmfusion-free-updates: mirror.liberty.edu
* rpmfusion-nonfree: mirror.liberty.edu
* rpmfusion-nonfree-updates: mirror.liberty.edu
* updates: mirror.seas.harvard.edu
elfutils-libelf-0.152-1.fc16.i686 : Library to read and write ELF files
Repo : fedora
Matched from:
Filename : /usr/lib/libelf.so.1

elfutils-libelf-0.153-1.fc16.i686 : Library to read and write ELF files
Repo : _local
Matched from:
Filename : /usr/lib/libelf.so.1

elfutils-libelf-0.153-1.fc16.i686 : Library to read and write ELF files
Repo : updates
Matched from:
Filename : /usr/lib/libelf.so.1

elfutils-libelf-0.153-1.fc16.i686 : Library to read and write ELF files
Repo : @updates
Matched from:
Filename : /usr/lib/libelf.so.1

Therefore, I assume this is the needed package.

UK2 · #6 23rd March 2012, 03:52 PM

Hello,

rpm -ivh --replacepkgs <URL to RPM file>

I am just wondering what would the url to the file be?

Many thanks for any suggestions,

#7 23rd March 2012, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UK2

Hello,

rpm -ivh --replacepkgs <URL to RPM file>

I am just wondering what would the url to the file be?

Many thanks for any suggestions,

.........................

Code:

[root@main-pc ~]# yumdownloader --urls elfutils-libelf.x86_64
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
http://mirror.bytemark.co.uk/fedora/linux/development/17/x86_64/os//Packages/e/elfutils-libelf-0.153-1.fc17.x86_64.rpm
[root@main-pc ~]#

PabloTwo · #8 23rd March 2012, 04:03 PM

Try,

Code:

rpm --replacepkgs -ivh http://mirror.ox.ac.uk/sites/download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/updates/16/x86_64/elfutils-libelf-0.153-1.fc16.x86_64.rpm

If "yum" is broken, then there's a good chance "yumdownloader" is also broken, though I'm not certain of that.

UK2 · #9 24th March 2012, 09:43 AM

Hello,

Yes, you are right. Yumdownloader didn't work:

Quote:

sudo yumdownloader
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/yumdownloader", line 21, in <module>
import yum
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/yum/__init__.py", line 23, in <module>
import rpm
File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/rpm/__init__.py", line 9, in <module>
from rpm._rpm import *
ImportError: /usr/lib64/libelf.so.1: file too short

I also tried the following, without success

Quote:

sudo rpm -ivh --replacepkgs http://mirror.bytemark.co.uk/fedora/...c17.x86_64.rpm
rpm: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib64/libelf.so.1: file too short

Then I just downloaded the actual rpm file and just tried to install that. Also without success:

Quote:

sudo rpm -ivh elfutils-libelf-0.152-1.fc16.x86_64.rpm
rpm: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib64/libelf.so.1: file too short

What does it mean that the file is too short?

So now I am out of ideas.

Many thanks for any suggestions or advice,

PabloTwo · #10 24th March 2012, 04:18 PM

Try this:

Code:

ls -l /usr/lib64/libelf*

On my system, I get this:

Code:

-rwxr-xr-x. 1 root root 86984 Feb 24 10:16 /usr/lib64/libelf-0.153.so
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root    15 Mar 10 21:13 /usr/lib64/libelf.so.1 -> libelf-0.153.so

The corrupted file appears to have broken both yum and rpm commands. That would leave you with a real problem.

#11 24th March 2012, 04:45 PM

Try this to fix it. (usr.tar.gz = elfutils-libelf.rpm extracted and repacked to tar format)

Code:

su -
cd /
curl http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6907158/usr.tar.gz  -o usr.tar.gz
tar -xvf usr.tar.gz
rm -f usr.tar.gz
fixfiles -R elfutils-libelf restore
yum reinstall elfutils-libelf

PabloTwo · #12 24th March 2012, 05:00 PM

Guess what? yum uses rpm to install/erase packages. If rpm is broken, then so is yum. He would need to download the corrupted file(s) and cp/mv it/them to the proper location(s) then set the proper permissions and SELinux contexts to the file(s). If he has cpio, he could use that to extract the elfutils-libelf rpm package and copy the effected file(s) from that to replace the corrupted file(s) on his install.

UK2 · #13 24th March 2012, 06:14 PM

Hello,

Thanks for all the help. I have solved my problem doing the following:

Checking for the link to that library:

Quote:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 86976 Feb 16 2011 libelf-0.152.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Feb 24 22:16 libelf-0.153.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 Mar 15 21:27 libelf.so.1 -> libelf-0.153.so

So I think version 153 was having a problem. So I just linked it to the 152 library instead. And that library seems to be working ok.

Quote:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 86976 Feb 16 2011 libelf-0.152.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Feb 24 22:16 libelf-0.153.so
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 Mar 25 00:09 libelf.so.1 -> libelf-0.152.so

I can use yum and rpm ok now.

Thanks for all your time.

PabloTwo · #14 24th March 2012, 06:24 PM

Quote:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Feb 24 22:16 libelf-0.153.so

Well, what was supposed to be the working binary was a zero byte file, which totally explains the "file too short" error message. You might want to consider doing:

Code:

yum reinstall elfutils-libelf